From Blood to Stone
by Soulforge
Summary: Iris' world turns to chaos when humans run his Dalish clan from their home. In this now empty world, he meets a fellow mage named Anders, whom he grows especially attached to. The Circle has other plans for the pair and Iris soon finds himself once again alone.The only company is a demon whispering in his ear. Will he accept the demon in hopes to rescue Anders from an unknown fate?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The Dalish were an elusive faction of elves that resided in wilderness. In Fereldan, the Dalish tribes were constantly migrating. Every few months, they packed up and traveled somewhere else. Staying in one spot for too long ran the chance of being discovered by humans. Humans' distain for elves was mutual.

My specific clan, however, had found a way around the need to continually move. Living in the mutated Sequoia trees in the Ra'Gathi forest permitted us to maintain a permanent residency. The surrounding maple and oak trees also helped to give us the cover we needed. To the humans that occasionally traveled the forest, it was as if we were never there.

We built platforms that wrapped around the tree trunks and extended out on to the thick branches. The trees were divided into levels, each level being around fifteen feet from the next. Simplistic bridges connected our three trees at each level and rope ladders hung from the platforms to allow one to ascend to the next level.

Each tree served a different purpose. One tree was entirely devoted to business, dozens of shops decorating the limbs. The smallest tree was used for social gatherings, education, and the finer things in life like music and art.

The third tree was strictly for housing. Social class was very evident in the location of one's home. At the top of the tree was our Keeper, the most important man in Dalish culture. The next level contained our three shamans, or healers. From there, people lose an exact title and are labeled either a nobleman or commoner. Subsequently, the higher one's house is, the higher in that rank they are.

Perhaps I wasn't entirely pleased with the housing arrangements, but I believed our community worked. Escaping social class was impossible. It was not just in Man's nature to be smug and haughty, it was in Elves' nature as well, although we would never dare admitting we shared something in common with humans.

As I walked I came upon my brother, Illiciaceae, and the sisters Euphorbiaceae and Liliaceae, who were family friends. "I'm serious," my brother exclaimed. "I heard the adults talking about it."

"Talking about what, Star Anise?" I asked.

Euphorbiaceae answered, "he thinks humans are in the forest."

"They are!" My brother flared.

"What exactly did the adults say?"

"They said they found over a dozen deer skins in the forest. Too clean for an animal's doing."

Liliaceae gasped. "Why would they do something like that?"

Her sister replied bitterly, "They eat meat." We all had that notion ingrained into our heads. Animals were a thing of beauty, and it was sacrilegious to lay a hand on one.

Interrupting the somber discussion we heard a voice strain to pronounce each syllable, "Euphor…bia…ceae!" We turned knowingly to see the youngest of the sisters racing towards us. She was just six years old, so the extensive names were difficult for her. It was the only problem with the name rule.

Each elf had two first names, a formal one and a casual one. For anyone older, the full first name was used out of respect while the short, casual name was used for those younger. The only exception was in marriage.

Euphorbiaceae laughed as the child bounded, out of breath, with alacrity. "What is it, Arum?"

Araceae jutted out her hand that was clenched tightly in a fist. Her eldest sister raised an eyebrow and I myself felt a tad intrigued at what had gotten Araceae so worked up. "I found this near the bottom of the tree." She opened her hand to reveal a mere acorn. Everyone sighed and Illiciaceae doubled over in a fit of laughter. "I've never seen something like this before, do you think it's magic?" My younger brother laughed harder.

Euphorbiaceae answered, "Arum, that's just an acorn. They come from trees."

"Not from our trees!" She defended. Annoyed by everyone's reaction she turned and fixed her attention on me. "Iridaceae, _you _know magic stuff. Is it magic?"

I knelt down in front of her and picked the acorn out of her hand. "Do you know what this can do?" She shook her head. "This teeny tiny acorn has the power to transform into a humongous tree." I placed it back in her hand. "Can elves become trees?" She shook her head. "Can birds?" I received the same response. I closed her hand around the acorn. "Only this can become a tree. So you're right, it is magic."

Her eyes lit up. "I knew it." Liliaceae, only nine years old, was also intrigued with my story. Araceae trotted off with her "magical object" and Liliaceae followed, constantly trying to convince her sister to fork it over.

I stood up and Euphorbiaceae patted my back. "I never would of thought of that."

"You're just too old," I teased. "You can't relate to our youthful minds anymore."

Someone chimed in from behind us, teasing me back. "But tomorrow Euphorbiaceae will be nineteen. Elven law says she'll be an adult then, able to do everything you can't." We turned around, already knowing the face that matched the voice. Rutaceae, my older sister, beamed at us. Her twin, Solanaceae, was with her, as usual. They were two years younger than Euphorbiaceae, and probably the most important people in her life. My older brother instinctively took his place by Euphorbiacea's side.

"Rue, don't say the 'A' word," Euphorbiaceae groaned.

"Adult?" Illiciaceae asked.

"But just think, then you and Nightshade can get married. Men are adults at sixteen after all." My sister mindlessly stated. I nudged her side. "Ow. What was that for?"

"How well do you think a nobleman will take his first born child marrying beneath her?" I hissed at her.

"I thought you said you were going to talk to your father?" My sister went on.

The elf of aristocracy brushed back her long pale blond hair. "I've been thinking about that a lot actually," she confessed. "I was thinking, after the celebration tomorrow, I'd tell him."

She and my older brother began whispering back and forth to each other and my younger brother quickly grew disinterested in the conversation. He hung over the railing, peering over the edge. "Can we head down there?" He asked no one in particular.

Rutaceae shrugged, "I suppose so." And with that another serious conversation was dropped.

"Just be mindful of bears," I warned as we approached the rope ladder. "There are a lot of mothers and cubs out this time of year."

"Do you hear what your brother said, Star Anise?" Rutaceae asked, demanding the teenager's attention.

He had been staring over the railing again and poked his head up at the sound of his name. "Huh?"

Our sister smacked the back of his head. "Pay attention."

"I heard, I heard. Stupid bears," he muttered.

Rutaceae rolled her eyes, "If you get eaten by a bear, I'm telling Lamiaceae it was your own dumb fault."

Illiciaceae ignored her remark and asked, "What would happen if I fell off from this high up?"

I answered first. "You'd die. Even jumping from the first level poses some risk." He frowned at this. Euphorbiaceae was the first to climb down the rope. The rest of us followed, with Illiciaceae the last the leave the railing. After a few minutes of descending several levels our feet finally touched solid ground.

Almost immediately after letting go of the rope, my younger brother bolted off into the dark forest, shoving past all of us in a taunting fashion. I flashed the others a grin before taking off after my brother. Since we were typically confined to a mild walk while in the trees, it felt great to stretch my legs.

Illiciaceae and I were now side by side. I gave him a playful yet powerful shove and he fell off the trail. While he began to regain himself I pulled myself on to a branch that protruded out above the path. I suppressed a snicker as my younger brother looked around with confusion. He looked back at our company for help, but Solanaceae shrugged as if he had no idea.

I reached down to give his shaggy brown hair a sharp tug. As I was doing this, however, he reached up and grabbed hold of my wrist, pulling me out of the tree. I laid defeated at my brother's feet and he gave a triumphant laugh.

Rutaceae raced to my side and offered me a hand up. "I'm fine, honest." I waved her off and stood up on my own.

After that my older brother and Euphorbiaceae disappeared. We spent the next couple hours wandering the forest we all knew, occasionally creating races and inventing different stipulations to up the intensity.

Darkness eventually began to settle in, forcing us to return to the trees. Our oldest brother, Lamiaceae, was waiting for us at our small home when we returned. "Where's Nightshade?" He asked. Most of my memory consisted of my older brother rather than my parents. He had been raising us since he was eighteen, and now he was twenty-six. His dedication and sacrifice made him the most admirable person in my life.

Soon after we came home, Nightshade returned. He seemed content. Illiciaceae, worn out from the day was beginning to fall asleep in the living room. I nudged him, "Come on." He stood up and followed me into the only bedroom in the house. We had just two mattresses, but a blanket for everyone. Illiciaceae and I shared a bed, and Rutaceae and Solanaceae shared the other. Lamiaceae graciously allowed us permanent bed space while he always slept on the ground. Illiciaceae was out cold almost instantly, while I was kept up by my never resting mind.

About a half an hour later there was a series of knocks on our door. After the door opened whispered followed until Solanaceae cried out "Oenothera!" His special nickname for Euphorbiaceae.

Being careful not to disturb Illiciaceae, although I think at this point he could've slept through an earthquake, I got up and stepped into the living room.

Our guest was passed out at the door in my brother's arms. "What happened?" I asked quietly.

Lamiaceae shook his head. "I don't know. I opened the door to her crying and just repeating the word 'please'. She asked for Nightshade, and then passed out."

Solanaceae carried her to the middle of our living room and my oldest brother knelt next to her. He checked her forehead first. "Is she sick?" Solanaceae asked nervously.

"Something traumatized her." I answered.

"Are you sure? How do you know?" Solanaceae went on.

To be honest, I didn't know how I was so sure. Magic, although it had been a part of me from an early age, was still a foreign thing to me. I had no teachers because of how rare it was for a Dalish elf to have the gift. There was no one to guide me through it. But in this moment, looking down at Euphorbiaceae's face, I knew. Something told me. I shivered as a strange feeling arose. I quickly brushed off the feeling and focused on the tangible things before me.

"Now would be an excellent time for locks on our doors," I muttered.

"What do you mean?" Rutaceae asked.

"Something happened with her parents, although I'm not entirely sure what." I answered. Solanaceae's eyes lit up, but I wasn't sure with what emotion.

"Rue, go get some water from the well." Lamiaceae instructed. Rue nodded, grabbed a cup from our cabinet, and left. In the commoner's district, each level had to share a water pump and bathrooms. Rue soon returned with the glass filled.

After a few minutes, Euphorbiaceae awoke. She immediately began to sit up. "Easy, Euphor." My oldest brother cautioned. "Drink this." He handed her the glass of water, which she graciously accepted. "You got a little too worked up Euphor, and you fainted. Are you alright to tell us what happened yet?"

She nodded and set the glass down beside her. "They're going to make me marry someone else."

"What?" Rutaceae wasn't very good at masking any astonishment.

"Violaceae, they want me to marry Violaceae." Then she looked up at my oldest brother. "Lamiaceae, please don't let them do this."

"Me? What am _I_ supposed to do?" Lamiaceae asked, taken aback.

She buried her face in her hands and wept, "I don't know," she cried, "please. I don't know what to do." Solanaceae put his arm around her.

Lamiaceae thought for a moment and then said, "You _could _stay here. But I don't know what the town might think. And it really might not go over well."

"We don't care what other people think." Solanaceae muttered.

"What if her father comes back for her?" Rutaceae asked.

"How would he know she's here?" Solanaceae replied back.

"He'll find out sooner or later," I spoke for the first time since Euphorbiaceae woke up.

"But maybe by then it won't matter," Lamiaceae said.

"We can't say for certain he still won't try and force her to return home." I pointed out.

Lamiaceae shook his head, "It's not something that has to be resolved right this minute. We can figure it out in the morning."

Solanaceae pulled her to her feet. She walked into the bedroom alone, the others still chatting in the living room. She got prepared to lay down on the floor. "Euphorbiaceae," I said, drawing her attention. She looked like an utter mess. "Sleep on the bed, please."

"But-"

"I'll take the floor. You and Solanaceae can have that bed. Rutaceae can sleep on the bed with Star Anise."

"Iris," she said surprised. "No, it's alright. I'll be fine."

"No, I insist. I don't mind the floor, it's quite comfortable actually." I lied.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." I smiled.

"Thank you."

I nodded and then added, "Oh and Euphorbiaceae, everything will work out in the end. I promise you that. It might be one heck of a battle to get to your happy ending, but you'll have it, I know you will."

Later in the night I woke up to a strange smell. Others in the room appeared to have been awoken too. "It's probably just the bonfire. Go back to sleep." I heard Solanaceae mumble to Euphorbiaceae.

"It's never lit this time of night," She whispered back. A scream from outside followed, confirming that the smell was nothing ordinary. Solanaceae was up instantly.

"Lamiaceae." He spoke our brother's name with faith he would once again solve all the problems. "What's going on?"

My oldest brother was up in a flash. He ran outside and was back in seconds. "Get up! Get out!" Everyone besides Illiciaceae was already awake. "You guys go. Now! Me and Star will catch up."

Too frightened to question, the four of us ran out of the house. Everyone was running chaotically around. Solanaceae grabbed Euphorbiaceae's hand and yanked her into the crowd. I made sure to stick right at their side. The area around the rope ladders was teeming with elves. The first tree was already up in flames. Euphorbiaceae sank to the ground. Solanaceae grabbed her around the waist and tried to pull her to her feet, "Oenothera, we can't stop. Please, let's go." She looked up at us. My sister was already gone; she presumably made a mad dash for the rope ladder as soon as we set foot outside. Euphorbiaceae wearily stood up.

My brother leading, we ran to the rope ladder in a vain attempt to get through the crowd. The crowd pushed and shoved, knocking us back and knocking Solanaceae out of sight. Then someone screamed, "They burned the ladder!"

I regained myself instantly and pulled Euphorbiaceae to her feet. She called my brother's name repeatedly but her voice was lost in the roar of chaos. "We don't have time for this. We must leave." I insisted. She looked up at me, as if for the first time realizing I was there.

Suddenly overtook by either insanity or courage she grabbed my hand and ran for the bridge to the first tree. "Don't let go," she yelled back at me. The first tree, the one dedicated entirely to business was practically empty in comparison to the third. We climbed down two ladders to make it to the first level.

"Iris," she breathed. I knew what she was staring at. She pointed to where the ladder to the ground once hung. Fire surrounded the area. She looked over the edge and then turned back to me and softly touched my cheek. "Iris you have to trust me on this, okay?" I nodded. "We have to jump."

I nodded once again and waited for her to make the first move. Mage or not, I was still a bit frightened. She climbed over the railing and I followed her lead. "You ready?"

"Yes," I answered. We both pushed off the railing, hoping our decent would be a gentle one. Seconds after hitting the ground, Euphorbiaceae grabbed my hand once again and yanked me along. We sprinted off into the forest. She didn't stop, so neither did I. I forced myself to keep going. Finally she took a moment to rest and I imagined her lungs were burning just as mine were. "Just a second," she panted.

"Look what we got here," we heard a voice sneer. I wearily stood up. _Humans, _I thought. They were just as they'd been described to me over the years. Rounded ears, rugged features.

"What a beauty," another snickered. He advanced towards Euphorbiaceae and she began backing up against a tree.

"Get away from her!" I screamed. I got up and prepared to leap towards the man when the second human turned his attention on to me. And then my world went black


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

When I woke, the sun was beginning to creep up over the horizon and the fire was spreading throughout the forest. I also noticed that Euphorbiaceae and the men were gone. They had taken her. And now I was truly alone.

I pushed myself off the ground and stood up. I looked back one last time at where my home had once been.

I was more aware of my magic this time and prepared myself in the chance I needed to use it.

I began walking in the same direction Euphorbiaceae and I were headed earlier. I thought for a moment of calling out her name, but decided against it. The chances of her still being in hearing range were slim to none, and if anything it could draw unnecessary attention.

I tried not to let my mind wander, but it was impossible. I wondered how many others managed to escape. I worried for the elf I had failed and abandoned, the elf that was like family to me. I wondered if she was still alive, although my heart told me she wasn't.

I heard the rustling of bushes and shrubs ahead of me and knew someone was coming. I readied a small fireball in my palm and raised it. A human in strange clothing raced in my direction. "Don't come near me!" I warned.

He slowed down, catching sight of what was in my hand, and then suddenly stopped a few feet in front of me. He had short dirty blond hair and a gold earring in his right fat round ear. I also noticed a small crescent-shaped scar above his left eyebrow. "Whoa, kid. Put that away before someone sees." He took a step towards me.

"I said stay back!" I let the fire in my hand expand towards him.

He put both his hands up and suddenly my fire ceased moving. "Are you an idiot?" he asked through an annoying Fereldan accent. "There are Templars in the forest. You want them to find you?"

"Templars?" I blinked.

Shouts came from the direction this man was running from. He looked back in an apprehensive manner.

"Hide your magic. They'll take you away if they know." He advised and then suddenly sprinted off.

"Wait!" I called. "Where are you going?" I followed him, despite the fact that he was a human. I finally put the pieces together. He was a mage. He had stopped my fire, and he was on the run from these 'Templars' who apparently were searching for mages. I didn't know why they desired to round up mages or what happened when they found one. This man had the answers I needed. Not just about Templars, but about everything I had wondered since discovering the power I harbored within me.

As I ran at his side he turned to me and said, "Kid, they have my phylactery, my blood. You'd have a much better chance at getting away if you didn't stick around _me._" Again he used a term that was foreign to me. I shook my head, but didn't answer. I was already exhausted from running. What I wanted to say was that I had nowhere to go. I had nothing to run to or for. He noticed my struggle. "Use your magic to control your breathing. Concentrate." There was no way I could do something like that when I barely understood my power at all. We were running closer to the fire and the thick grey smoke began to engulf us. "This is where we'll lose them."

I covered my mouth and fought a cough as I followed the man through the haze. He made a sudden turn to the left and continued at his high speed.

His plan apparently worked as I could no longer hear the shouts of the men behind us. The smoke seemed to have confused them and we were able to slip away. In a few minutes we were out of the smoke and on the other side of the forest. I longed for Euphorbiaceae or anyone from my family to be with me at this moment. I didn't want to be alone in this forest, alone with these humans.

I began to slow my pace. As much as my mind wanted to strive on, my body was failing me. The man in front of me did not appear to be having as much trouble as I was. He looked over his shoulder to see the gap that was forming between us. To my surprise, he slowed down to meet me. "There's a city due north of here, kid. That's where we'll be safe, temporarily anyways."

He did not reach back and grab my hand like Euphorbiaceae constantly had. He did not lead me along. He left the decision to follow up to me, to which I was partially grateful for and partially taken aback by.

I noticed at this moment that we had yet to exchange names. He was quick to help someone he did not know. I wondered slightly if I would have offered him the same kindness.

After what seemed like hours for me we finally made it to the edge of the forest with the mystery man constantly matching his pace with my own. The boom of voices behind us was long gone. He gave me a few minutes to catch my breath before he insisted upon running once more. He pointed to a spec off in the distance and claimed it to be a human town. I was not pleased with having to find haven in a place like that, but I didn't have much of a choice. And from what he said earlier, it did not seem like we would stay there for very long.

We came upon the wooden gates of this bizarre town to which a man demanded our business. My acquaintance bowed graciously. "We are humble servants of the chantry my good sir. Andraste has given us the task of spreading her word to travelers and small, uncharted villages. We ask only for a warm bed to sleep in tonight, you can imagine the cold ground grows unappealing after a while."

"Alright, alright. I get it, Andraste's bloody servants." He began opening the door when he took a more scrutinizing glance at me and stopped. "Say, I thought elves didn't believe in the Maker."

The mage covered quickly with a chuckle. "No sir, they typically do not. Upon my travels I encountered a Dalish tribe and converted this here boy."

The man continued opening the door, mesmerized with my companion's tale. "You met some Dalish?"

While we entered the town the mage nodded slightly. "It was the Maker's wish. Now, could you please direct me to the nearest inn?" I narrowed my eyes at the storyteller in my company. _He was good at this. _I noted. The man stammered, still in awe over the false tale, and pointed off in a direction to our left. "Thank you, my good man, and may the Maker guide and watch over you."

"I imagine these inns are not the free sort, are they?" I asked, speaking for the first time since we fled.

"No kid, but don't you worry." We approached a random house along the way to the inn. "Not that I care, kid, but some people here might be a bit intolerant. Can you wait over there while I do my thing?"

"And what exactly is your thing?"

He grinned. "Wooing people." I rolled my eyes at him, but did as he asked and waited across the street.

He knocked on the door and an older woman answered. As if wanting to impress me with his "skill", he spoke loud enough for me to hear. "Good evening miss, I hate to disturb you, but I'm a traveling servant of Andraste. I just got word that my dear mother is terribly sick, they fear it may even be the plague, so she doesn't have much time left. I wish to write home to her, so she can hear from me one last time, but I haven't a pen or paper to do so with. May I trouble you for such things?"

The woman smiled, but spoke at a normal volume to which I could not hear. She gestured for him to come in. A few minutes later the door opened once more. My companion bowed graciously and put his hand over his heart. "My mother will appreciate this greatly. Thank you. May the Maker guide and watch over you."

"What did you need to do that for?" I asked when he returned to me.

He grinned triumphantly at me and held up a piece of paper. I took it from him and read the letter. "The Templar, Sir Greagoir to be exact, has graciously allowed us to stay at the inn until he arrives to the town. He and the other Templar are scouting the forest for apostates and will be in town sometime tomorrow. We mages, who came willingly with them, are to rest in town for the night until they come to collect us. At which point he will pay the fee." He explained in the same tone he used when making up a grand story.

"You forged his signature?"

"Must say I've become quite good at it. Greagoir's is one of my best." He took pride in a strange thing. "Now come along, kid. We'll be leaving in the middle of the night, so let's go fill our bellies and rest our minds before then."

I followed him into the inn where he confidently handed the innkeeper the letter. The innkeeper read over it and then dubiously looked up at us. "Greagoir's coming?"

"Yes, sir. There are two more mages in the forest that he is trying to find, but it won't take too long. He has their phylacteries after all. He wanted us to wait for him here."

"I hate playing babysitter," The man muttered.

"We will be of no trouble, I swear it." The mage assured him.

"All mages are trouble," He mumbled. "I'll get you both something to eat. Take a seat somewhere, but don't bother my customers."

I followed my companion to a table that was as far away from the crowd as possible. The man leaned back in his chair and let out an exaggerated sigh. He spoke softly, "I guess introductions would be nice, huh kid? My name's Anders."

"Iris," I returned. There was a minute of silence between us before I began asking the questions that had been ever present on my mind. "What are Templars?"

"Templars are mage hunters."

"I don't understand, why is this condoned?"

"Kid," he sighed and then corrected himself with my name, "Iris, in the human world, mages are not trusted. When someone discovers they are a mage, Templars come to take them to what is called the Circle of Magi. Most mages go willingly."

"But not you," I deduced.

He grinned again. "Not me. This is my sixth escape."

"Sixth?" I repeated, astonished.

"They had just found me again and were on their way to deliver me to the tower when I met you, kid."

"So you just keep running?" He nodded, still wearing that grin, and seemed pleased with my bewilderment. He liked to entertain, I could tell that much. "To what end?"

"Any place is better than the Circle, kid. Even a cold, empty forest."

"So why not fight back?" I asked.

He shrugged. "It's too much work. I don't want to get involved in politics, or blood magic for that matter."

"Blood magic?"

He waved it off. "Forget I said anything. It's a foul art. Nothing more."

"Why don't they trust mages?"

"Because of what we can do."

The innkeeper brought over two plates of food and two glasses of water. We stopped talking upon his approach. The soup was uncooked, but I was grateful nonetheless. Anders seemed pleased with anything that the Templars would have to pay for later and cheerfully ate his food.

When the man walked away Anders spoke. "So tell me about you, kid."

I shrugged. "What do you want to know?"

"I imagine you lived in the trees that the radical humans burnt down, right?" He shocked me then with his intuitiveness. "It certainly gave me a perfect chance to escape, not that I'm happy it happened though."

I shook my head, as if trying to deny the memories that were forcing their own revival. "I figured out I was mage when I was seven years old. My family…and her," I added under my breath desolately, "were playing in a pond. My sister splashed water at me and I put my hands up to cover my eyes. But it never hit me."

"You stopped it," he stated.

I nodded. "No one else in our village was a mage; no one truly knew what to tell me. We had all heard stories, you know, a friend of a friend, but I had no real answers."

Anders leaned back in chair again and seemed lost in thought. We sat in silence for a few minutes; I continued to eat while Anders had already slurped down his entire bowl, until he spoke again. "I heard of this place, the mages at the last tower I was in used to talk of it. Denerium supposedly is home to a few apostates already."

"And?"

"I was thinkin' about heading there. At least stay there for a little while. If you've got nowhere else to go, kid, you can always come along. But like I said, they don't have your phylactery, so they won't necessarily know you're a mage. You could go anywhere, as long as you don't make your magic known." I wasn't sure how to respond to that, so I replied with mere silence, which prompted him to add, "You don't have to make any decisions right now, kid."

The innkeeper came by once again to take our plates. "Here's your bloody key, room five," he said and tossed something on our table.

"Excellent." Anders beamed at him. "Thank you."

"If you're done eating, get up to your bloody room. I don't want you down here with my real customers. Bad enough I have two mages sittin here, one o' yous a bloody knife-ear." He grumbled.

I waited for Anders reaction, unsure of what to say to a comment like that. Anders gave a laugh that I presumed was fake and replied, "Yes sir, we'll be sure to do that." Nothing seemed to offend or faze him. Anders stood up, so I did as well. I followed him up the stairs.

"You mentioned something called a phylactery." I prompted him to explain.

"Ah yes, I forget that this entire thing is a foreign concept to you, kid. A phylactery is a sample of blood. When you arrive at a tower the first thing they do is take a sample of blood from you, which they store in a vile and lock away somewhere. If a mage ever escapes, they use the phylactery to tract them. The blood glows when it gets closer to the mage." He stopped in front of a door with the number five carved into it. Pushing against the door to get it unstuck, he opened up to the first human room I would ever stay in. I wished it could be the last.

Two small beds and a dresser with a broken leg filled the room, and nothing more. Bleakness tapped on the windows, but the innkeeper was too cheap to let even that in. "Could be worse," Anders said cheerfully. "Come on, kid, wipe that frown off your face, at least you got away alive."

Again he struck me with that surprising and uncharacteristic keenness. He knew it was more than just a pathetic room for me. "I wonder if death would have been more kind." I muttered, although I don't believe he heard me.

"Get some rest, kid; I think we should leave in just a few hours. I don't want to risk them arriving early."

"What if we oversleep?" I asked.

He tapped his head and grinned again. "Got myself trained. You forget I'm a master at this game."

"If you say so," Then, for the first time since meeting him, I smiled slightly, "then again, you have gotten _caught_ five times, what does that say?"

He laughed at my teasing. "Give me a break, I am human after all."

My smile slowly slipped away as I thought about what he said. "Yes, you are," I whispered to myself. For a brief moment, I forgot we were different. I hadn't noticed I was doing it until he uttered those words. Had I forgotten he was a human? Or had I forgotten I was an elf?


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

We woke up to the door nearly breaking off its hinges and I instinctively looked around for Lamiaceae. For a second, I was taken aback by my surroundings before I remembered where I was. My human companion was already on his feet and I turned my head to follow his gaze. Two men dressed in heavy silver armor stood at the door.

"Thems the mages you were looking for," the innkeeper said from behind them.

"Nice of you to wait for us here," The man smirked. I stood and waited for Anders' reaction.

"Real cocky of you to stop in a town," came a more feminine voice.

"How do you know I didn't get this room for us, Rylock?" Anders replied in that false tone.

"Don't be so vulgar, mage," The Templar snapped. Removing the helmet, the specially trained soldier revealed a female face and short, choppy, brown hair. Then she turned and set her gaze upon me. "You've a friend I see. Little young, don't you think?"

"Now who's vulgar?" Anders answered.

I waited for Anders to make a break for it. I waited for him to hit the pair over the head, or cast a fireball, or anything to free us. But he allowed the man to approach him and put manacles around his wrists. Just like that he was defeated.

The woman moved towards me and I took a step back. As if reading my mind, Anders warned, "Don't fight back, kid."

"What? You're not going to do anything?" He stunned me yet again, but this time I was not inspired or awed. I was in disbelief.

"Iris, you have to trust me on this, okay?" When he said that, it struck me even harder. It was the same thing Euphorbiaceae said to me right before…

The woman, Rylock, pulled my arms behind me and began setting a pair of manacles around my wrists. She pushed me forward and towards the door.

There was a huge difference between Anders and me, but right now both of us were in chains. This was not right. I had done nothing wrong, yet I was being treated as a criminal.

The man, whom I assumed to be Greagoir, kicked Anders back and off balance, sending him tumbling to the ground. "You gave us a lot of trouble." Anders, straining to regain himself with his hands bound behind his back, replied to the abuse with a simple smile. Then the man grabbed and yanked him to his feet. "Let's go," he ordered through a husky voice.

They shoved us out the door and down the stairs. I cast a confused glance at Anders. Was he really this spineless, or was there some other reason he acted like this? Humans were so difficult to comprehend. He noticed me staring at him and gave me a rueful look.

They pushed us out of the inn and directly out of the town. Greagoir and Anders were a few steps ahead of us. I watched Anders as he moved. His amber eyes were hidden in the darkness of the night even as he carried his head high.

They forbid speaking to each other at this time, but Anders had no problem coming up with sarcastic remarks or corny jokes for the Templars, despite the occasional hit he would receive for doing so.

During the six day walk I tried to pretend I was elsewhere. I forced my mind to imagine I had woken normally the night before. I imagined Euphorbiaceae finally becoming a part of our family, though she always seemed to be anyway.

Each night we would stop for camp and the Templars would take turns watching over us to ensure we did not escape. I had vainly thought this would be the point where Anders would enact whatever plan his brilliant mind was hatching, but each uneventful night my hopes sunk further and further down. Near the middle of the sixth day my eyes came upon the sight of a foggy, eerie lake with a gloomy tower in the center.

The Templars shoved us into a boat where we crossed to the tower completely dedicated to oppression. "We've got a special treat for you, Anders."

"Oh, and what could that be, my sweet lamb?" Anders cooed back at Rylock.

"Enough with the jokes, mage."

"Who's joking? You know, I find a woman in power to be utterly attractive." he gave her a fake wink, to which she did not buy.

"Let's see if you maintain that cockiness when we get inside." She muttered back.

I remained silent from the second we left town to the moment we approached the door to the tower. When we entered, Greagoir issued a command, "Send for First Enchanter Irving."

Within minutes an old human in robes approached. "Back again, Anders?" he spoke softly.

"Couldn't stay away, I guess," Anders replied.

"Lady Rylock, would you please escort Anders to my office on the third level so we may get things situated momentarily?" He asked.

Anders looked back at me with a face of confidence. "This isn't goodbye," he promised me, yet somehow it felt like it was. The woman led my companion away from me. Once again I was being left alone. I leaned forward in the direction they were going, wanting to follow.

The wizened man seemed to notice my growing anxiety as he said, "Please calm down, dear child. There's nothing to fear." Then he looked up at Greagoir. "Why is this boy in manacles?"

"He was traveling with Anders, we couldn't take any chances."

"I don't think they were necessary, Knight-Commander."

"With all due respect, Irving, that's my call to make."

The old man waved the argument off and the Templar removed the chains from my hands. "What's your name?"

"Iris." I answered.

The man wrote down my response on a cream colored piece of paper. "Mmhmm, and how old are you?"

"I'm fourteen."

"Okay," The human murmured as he recorded my answer. Then he looked up and offered me a fake smile. This man was not kind, he was not gentle. I knew this instantly. This was an act. He was not sincere with me, he was not like…

"Greagoir and I have some pressing business to attend to, so we unfortunately have to step out. One of our senior enchanters can get you situated." He motioned to a bald human whom he handed the paper in his hand off to.

"What's going to happen to Anders?" I asked.

Neither answered me. Instead the Templar and the old man ascended the spiral staircase and I feared they were on their way to deal with the only person who gave me solace in this new chaotic world.

"I'm senior enchanter Uldred. It's nice to meet you Iris," The bald human introduced as he looked up from the paper, bearing a fake smile like all the rest. "I'll show you where you'll be staying. In a few days you may even start your training."

"Training?" I asked, suddenly a tad interested.

"Here, every new mage strives towards taking what is called a Harrowing test, where you become a full circle mage."

"What if I don't want to?"

"There are two alternatives, Iris, death or becoming Tranquil. Neither are ideal."

"What's Tranquil?"

He smirked at me. "It's where all your connection to the fade is cut off, and with it, goes all your emotions. Some say it is a fate worse than death."

He guided me up the spiral staircase to the second floor. I was really getting sick of all these strange terms. "Fade?"

"What, have you been living under a rock? The Fade is a metaphysical realm. Everyone enters the Fade mentally when they dream and we mages tap into it when we cast spells."

I let what he said sink in. These humans had already taught me so much about magic. I wanted to know more, I wanted to understand myself and my power. "When can I see Anders again?"

He brought me to a room with dozens of bunk beds scattered around. "This is where the apprentices sleep. I have to go now, Iris. But we should soon meet again."

He was the third person to ignore my question about Anders. I had a terrible feeling growing inside me.

My first night in that place was terrifying. It was the first time I went to bed completely alone. _He's going to die, _something whispered to me. I jumped, not knowing where the voice had come from. I looked around at the other mages in the room, many of which were already asleep. The mage in the bed a foot across from mine was still awake, but he did not seemed stirred. Had I been the only one to hear it? _They'll take him from you, _came the same voice.I realized whom they meant.

I considered covering my head with my pillow, but I knew it might come off as strange. I didn't want to give the Templars any reason to pick me out from the bunch. I closed my eyes and pretended like everything was quiet. Maybe this was a trick. I found silence in sleep. When I woke the next morning the voice was thankfully gone.

While mages attentively trained or studied, dozens of Templars roamed the tower, occasionally even loaming over shoulders. I wandered to what seemed to be a library and plucked a random book off the shelf. "The Essence of Battlemage Specialization" it was titled. I flipped to a random page. "You should be aware of the damage taken if you plan on using Rock Armor and Arcane Shield." I narrowed my eyes, despising the fact that I had no knowledge of these spells.

"Apprentices aren't permitted to look at books on these shelves, what are you doing?" barked a Templar who was suddenly behind me. He snatched the book from my hand.

"And just what have I done to deserve this?" I asked. Upon looking at his tall stature I instantly regretted saying anything.

The man grabbed me by the shoulder and pulled me forward slightly before sending me flying backwards. I smacked against the cement ground as he said, "Defiance will get you nowhere, mage, it's best to learn that now." No one in the library turned his or her head. No one watched. And no one came to offer me assistance. The Templar put the book back in the shelf and walked away.

I saw children younger than me picking at a bookshelf closest to the door. With a sigh I stood and joined them. I heard none of them talk and I saw none of them smile. "What do you guys do for fun around here?" I asked in the same tone I used when I spoke to Araceae.

They looked up at me with lackluster eyes. "We aren't supposed to play games. Greagoir says an immature mind will attract a demon," one finally said. Clutching their books to their chests, they moved to separate parts of the room to read. I took the first book on the shelf entitled "What is Magic?" with a sigh. I flipped through the pages, skimming the text that offered me very little insight.

That night, when I returned to what was now my bed I noticed a nicely folded robe upon my bed. It consisted of two different shades of red. I looked around at the other mages who were dressed similarly and then down at myself. I still had on my Dalish outfit. It wasn't until now that I realized just how much I stuck out. Perhaps I should have had more regard for the last tangible thing I had left from my culture, but I lacked the concern. Keeping this outfit only hindered me. Retaining pride over my heritage would not save me. It could not rescue me from this place. So what did it matter?

I found the bathroom through a clearly marked sign and changed quickly into my new attire. I tossed my previous clothing in the trash. I was no longer Iris, the Dalish elf. Now I was Iris, the mage.


End file.
